Phoenix Starr Academy of dance

The owner of Phoenix Starr, a Luton dance school, is opening the town’s first hip-hop college.

Phoenix Starr Academy of Dance will open on Chapel Street, and auditions for places have already started for when the college opens in September.

Jazmin-Jade Buckley, 26, of Luton, set up the dance school that focuses on hip-hop in 2013, and has seen it go from strength to strength, with her dancers winning international competitions.

She said: “It is the first vocational college in the UK purely focusing on the hip-hop foundations of dance. Requirements that we look for in the students is a passion for dance.

“They would need to apply to audition and if successful they will enjoy three years of full time training to be the best dancer. I set up this college after hearing about the funding cuts in the educational system.

“There isn’t a vocational school in Luton to train for opportunities like this. Most vocational schools focus on ballet which is understandable, and our students will also train in ballet.

“But it is not ballet dancers you are seeing on stage as back up dancers, it is commercial and hip-hop dancers, so why not train in those styles five days a week.

“We want our students leaving our school to be prepared for this industry, ready to be back up dancers for the celebrities, walking out of here being a qualified dance teacher, as well as earning a diploma in dance.”

The course will be five days a week for students aged 16 to 24, the college can take on 15 people per year group and scholarships and fee assisted places are available.

For more information or to apply for an audition visit: www.phoenix-starr.com.